NATO Secretary General: no partner is closer than Japan

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the NATO Summit on Wednesday (12 July 2023), saying that no partner is closer than Japan. He further welcomed the new partnership programme between NATO and Japan that will further enhance cooperation in areas like arms control, new technologies, space, supply chains, resilience, and innovation. Underscoring that "security is not regional but global," Mr Stoltenberg thanked the Prime Minister for Japan's strong support to Ukraine. The Secretary General also expressed concern about China's military build-up, including the modernisation and expansion of its nuclear forces. He further condemned North Korea's latest missile test, in violation of international norms and multiple UN Security Council resolutions.